Bait box



Dec. 26, 1950 E. L. BENSON ET AL 2,535,256

BAIT BOX Filed April 5, 1946 Patented Dec. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to foldable knock-down bait boxes, and moreparticularly to boxes of this character for the carrying and handling oflive bait such as frogs, crawfish, grasshoppers, etc., and which. isreadily collapsed and folded into a compact flattened condition when notin use and is as readily opened and set up in working condition for use.

An object is to improve generally upon devices of its kind bysimplification of the construction and arrangement thereof and to makethe same more practical and convenient in its use and at the same timefacilitate its manufacture and minimize the cost thereof.

Another object is to secure ideal compactness of the device in aflattened folded condition thereof so as to occup minimum space and atthe same time produce a novel form and arrangement of cooperative andcorrelated parts, all hinged together in a unitary assembly whereinopposite longitudinal side wall members, hinged to a rectangular basemember, are swingable to a set-up position with a lean-to effect and intriangular relation to the base member, that is to say, with the freelongitudinal edge portions of the wall members in meeting contact witheach other, while triangular end members, hinged at their base edges tothe opposite ends of the base member, are swingable upwardly to closethe ends of the box and are provided with flanges at their oppositeinclined edges to retentively overlap outside the adjacent end edgeportions of the side wall members, the triangular end members beingnormally spring-urged to their set up positions and thus caused to holdall of the said set up parts of the box stably in their cooperativeworking positions.

Other objects and advantages to be attained will hereinafter more fullyappear in the following description.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a practical but non-limitingexemplification of the invention:

Figure 1 is an end view;

Figure 2 is a side elevation; and

Figure 3 is a plan view showing the end and side wall members of the boxin flattened opened positions.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral 5 designates thebait box as a whole. As shown, the box comprises a pan-like, flat,rectangular, base or bottom member 6 formed with slight, upstanding,marginal flanges l at its longitudinal sides and ends, thus making itpanlike and also serving to stiffen it. However, as far as the presentinvention is concerned, the base member 6 may be a plain plate withoutmarginal flanges, but, obviously, it should be sufiiciently thick togive the requisite inherent rigidity thereto.

Hinged, as at 8, to the longitudinal side flanges 1 of the base 6 ordirectly to the corresponding edges if no flanges are provided, is anopposed pair of polygonal side wall panels 9. These panels 9 may betruly rectangular, that is to say, formed square at their opposite ends,but, preferably, their ends are tapered slightly angularly, as at IU(see Figure 3). So, too, the wall panels 9 may be solid throughout theextent thereof but they are preferably formed with rectangular opening Hof a size including the major portion of each panel 9 and said openingsH are covered by wire mesh fabric or other suitable foraminous materialI2, or obviously, in some adaptations of the invention, the wall panelmay be provided with a multiplicity of perforations. This provision isto give ample ventilation to the box.

It is here further noted that, in size, the openings in the wall panel 9are preferably made large enough to enable one to view clearly thecontents of the box, but, of course, the same should be small enough toretain the live bait within.

In practice, the side wall panels 9 are preferably made of a widthslightly less than the width of the base member 6. In this way, the sidewall panels 9 can be swung upwardly on their hinges 8, into a lean-torelative position with their upper longitudinal edge portions in meetingcontact so that the panels rest in direct edgewise contact with eachother and in triangular cross-sectional relation to the base member 6.This is the set-up condition of the panels for the box in use. However,in the collapsed and folded condition of the box, one of the side wallpanels 9 can be folded down substantially flatwise on the bottom or basemember 6 and then the other panel down on top of the first so foldedpanel.

At the opposite ends of the bottom or base member 6, an opposed. pair oftriangular end wall panels I3 are hinged at their base edges, as at M,to the adiacent end flanges 1 of the bottom or base member. As shown,the hinges I4 are provided in pairs, one pair adjacent each side edge ofthe end wall member 13. A common pintle is provided for both pairs ofthe hinges l4, and coiled around each pintle, between the respectivepairs of associated hinges, is a helical s ring l5 (see Figure 3). Therespective springs I5 are wound so that one end portion I5 of each bearsupon the adjacent outer face portion of the companion end wall member [3and the other end I! of the spring bears against the adjacent outer faceportion of the bottom or base member 6. Thus, a forced swinging movementof the end wall I3 from its raised position shown in Figures 1 and 2 toits lowered open position shown in Figure 3, causes a further winding ofthe spring I5 and the reactive effect of the spring is for it to unwindand in so doing causes the end wall member 13 to swing upwardly eitherinto enga ement with the adjacent ends f the triangularly disposedset-up side wall panels, or, if the side wall panels have been foldeddown in their flatwise collapsed condition on the bottom or base member6, the end wall members I3 are spring-urged to a folded down position onthe adjacent end portions of the folded down side wall" panels.

In either the set-up or the collapsed folded down condition of the box,the springs l5 are constantly wound under tension and reactive .to movethe end wall members !3 to their upstanding worlnng position or theirfolded down collapsed position, as the case may be. so, too, the spring.elements 1.5 are primarily vprovidedto normally function so as to holdthe longitudinal side wall panels 9.and .theend wall members 11 9 firmlyand stably in setup working position as illustrated in Figures 1.and2,yet thespringsare readily yieldable to a forced movement .of the endwallmembers i3 out of holding engagement with .the set-up side wallpanels .9.

To enable the end wall member .13 to-efiective- .ly retain the set-up.side wall panels 9 in that condition, said end wall members is areprovided with substantially righteangular, upstanding flanges l9, which,in theset-up.conditionof the parts, overlap .the adiacent end ,marginal.portions .of said side Wall panels .9 .(see Figure 2). These-end wallflanges 1.8 .are preferably tapered at their longitudinal edges, as -at19, the taper inclining inwardly iromtheapex 29 of .eachmember .13 toits base edge (see 2).

For convenience in carrying the bait box hy hand or strapping or tyingthe same to .the belt of a -user .or to any other convenient place inuse, a bail-like handle or handles is il ustrated as hingedly mounted atits ends in suitable bracket or .lug members 22 provided either on thetree longitudinal edge portion of one or both .of the side wall panels.9. In the illustration .onlvone of said handles is shown. Of course'iftwo handles are provided they will be attached in coincident re ation onthe .respectiveside wall panels 9 so that they canbe made to register inan associated and cooperative relation whereby they can .be usedtogether at one and the same time. For access to the interior oi theset-up box structure, a circular opening 23 is providedinat least one ofthe end wall members 13. Obviously,

one of these openings 23 maybe provided .in each .end wallmember. Asshown, a circular disc-like closure member 12.4 is provided on theoutside of .theend wall member .i 3 forsaid opening 23. The closuremember .29 is formed with a peripheral .lug extension which is pivotallyattached to the end Wall member 13, adjacent to one side of the opening,as at 25, the pivot member r said closure member being inserted androtatably fitted in an aperture provided therefor in the wall member andhaving fixedl secured ,on its inner end portion a bent crank leVeLZB.

-E'I'he iree end portion of the cran'kllever .215 .is attached .to oneend :of a spring element .21, the Qpposite end of which is attached to astud I28 located on the inneriace of the end .wall member ,l 3 adjacentthe apex 29 of the ,member, said spring element :71 yieldably holdingsaid crank lever '26 against a stop stud or the like .28 on the .endwall member 1.3 and thereby the closure member 24 in its closedposition.

The closure member .24 is provided .on its-ou r face, as shown at apoint substantially diametrically opposite its pivotal point, with ahandle or knob member 39 for convenience in opening the closure member,this being all that is necessary because the spring element 21 .not onlyyieldably holds the closure member in its closed position butautomatically returns it to such position after each actuation thereof.

Frogs and other live bait such as crawflsh, grasshoppers and the likeare readily placed in and removed from the set-up box of the presentinvention. So, too, the improved box has many apparent and practicaladvantages in its make-unimportant among which is the ease and facilityiii-collapsing the box foldably with ideal compactness and as readilySetting up the box for useyin which latter condition it is quite safefrom accidental collapsing in regular use thereof. The .boxcan be .madeindifferent desirable sizes, .one very practical size beingcomparativelysmall in triangular cross-sectionso as to accommodate areasonably .suflicient quantity .of live bait with ample ventilation,provision but limited space lcapacity so that the live bait does nothave too muc v f eed nfimovement. winch thus makes it less liable forthe bulk of live bait to kill themselves or each other.

"While the illustratedstructure is a practical .exemplification of theinvention, the same admits of modification and change within the spiritand ,scope .of the appended claim. The invention, therefore, is notlimited to the-specific construction andarrangementshown.

What is claimed is:

A col a s bl ba t box of the ch ract r describedaincludinga' base memberhaving side and end edges, a pair of inwardly ,folding side walls.eachhaving side and lend edges, said end edges being inclined inwardlytoward the free edge thereof and each being pivotally secured .along oneside edge to a side edge of the base member, .a pair of inwardly foldingflanged end walls of substantially triangular shape each being,pivotally secured to an .end edge of the base member, and spring meansfor normally biasing each of .theend walls into overlapping retentiveengage- .ment with eachof the side walls when the latter .are moved .toset-up position with their :free side.

edges .in contacting relation witheach other, and *forcausing theendwalls to overlie the side walls when thelatter are folded inwardly overthebase member and to retain the same in said last named position, thespring .meansconstituting the sole means for maintaining the side andend walls in set-up or collapsed position with respect .to said .basemember.

EARL L. BENSON.

' HORACE G.'YOUNG.

ROY B. HUNT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

